Wireless communication devices are used for voice and video calling, Internet access, media streaming, data messaging, email, and the like. Wireless communication devices use wireless radio frequency (RF) communication systems to transmit data. A typical wireless RF communication network includes systems to exchange user communications between wireless communication devices, service providers, and other end user devices. A popular wireless communication technology is Long Term Evolution (LTE). LTE networks use wireless base stations called evolved Node Bs (eNodeBs) to wirelessly connect UEs to LTE networks.
Wireless repeaters extend the range of the eNodeBs in LTE networks. A wireless repeater receives a wireless signal from the eNodeB, amplifies the received signal, and then transmits the amplified version of the received signal to the UE Likewise, the wireless repeater receives a wireless signal from the UE, amplifies the received signal, and then transmits the amplified version of the signal to the eNodeB. The wireless repeaters are often linked together to form a repeater chain that extends from the LTE eNodeB.
In wireless RF communication systems when a data signal is received at an antenna, it is filtered, amplified, demodulated, and delivered to a baseband unit. However, data signals may have varying signal strengths based on network and environmental conditions. If the received data signal is too weak or strong, automatic gain control (AGC) may be applied to provide a controlled and consistent signal amplitude.
The determination of whether AGC should be applied on a received data signal is usually evaluated against threshold signal strength values. However, applying AGC in situations where there are many signal inflections of great magnitude within a time period may not have the desired effect. In some situations, the signal strength values may have changed before AGC can be applied. Furthermore, applying AGC in repeater systems may have a cascading effect, impacting many users.